Just a Dream
by NatureGirl202
Summary: Set in the New 52. Tim's been dreaming about the same girl for awhile now and he doesn't know why. He can't remember having ever known this girl, but the dreams are so vivid. A question has been finding its way into his mind every time; was it all just a dream?
1. Dream a Dream

**A/N: Ok, here's how it's gonna go. At school: work on All Fall Down (I'm almost done with the next chapter of that) and at home: work on this. I couldn't help myself. The inspiration just hit me and took off running from there.**

Chapter One:

Dream a Dream

"Hold fast to dreams,

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird,

That cannot fly."

-Langston Hughes

There was something different in the air. They'd all had that feeling for several days now, but without concrete evidence, they were forced to go about their normal routines, with slight variations. Bruce, for instance, was being more paranoid than usual. He had recently had Tim set up more surveillance cameras around Gotham, and he was pulling a lot of resources for any information. Dick, Tim noticed, was more subtle about his efforts. The acrobat had been going on patrols more frequently, and for longer hours. It wasn't just the vigilantes of Gotham feeling it, though. The entire superhero community seemed to be dancing on needles lately, always more aware and alert. There were even some stirrings amongst the villains.

But there was no hard evidence of anything _wrong_. It frustrated Tim endlessly. So much energy was being spent, mentally preparing for whatever was to come. He couldn't help but wonder if another crisis was on its way. He certainly hoped not. He'd had enough of those for _two_ lifetimes, at the least.

His eyes flickered to the roof across from him, as he saw a dark figure run across it stealthily. He recognized the silhouette immediately. He stood up from where he had been kneeling and took out his grapple. He shot it out and allowed it to lift him off the roof. He expertly swung across the street, landing on the targeted roof. The figure, now fully visible, came to a halt as he cut her off. His lips twitched as he held in a smirk when he saw a surprised look flash across her face.

"Batgirl" he said, giving her a slight dip of his head. She put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes, although a grin managed to find its way onto her face.

"Boy Wonder."

He gave her a look. She rolled her eyes again. "Sorry, _Former_ Boy Wonder."

Red Robin shook his head, a wry smile threatening to break out across his lips. "What are you doing?"

"Playing tag with my imaginary friend" she replied sassily, waving nonchalantly as she walked a few feet past him before turning to face him again. Red Robin raised an eyebrow, before turning his body around to face her.

"Oh really? What's her name? Stella or something?" It was just so _easy_ to fall back into the routine of the past; fun banter and words with silent meaning.

Batgirl shook her head, unsuccessfully holding back a grin. "No, it's a boy. My imaginary boyfriend actually."

_Leave it to her_. "And what is this 'boyfriend' like? Does he grovel at your feet?"

She let out a short laugh, before shaking her head again. "No, he's pretty cool, the motorcycle type. Wears a leather jacket. Really snarky."

Red Robin couldn't help but frown. "I think you just partially described Jason Todd."

There was a pause before Batgirl began to laugh, a snort managing to find its way in. Red Robin's lips twitched slightly, before giving in and letting out a chuckle of his own. A mutual silence then filled the spaces between them. Red Robin averted his eyes. He couldn't look in her eyes for long, or else he would be consumed by the memories. When it came to Steph, he really wasn't sure what to do anymore. A part of him wanted nothing more than to pick up from where they left off, give their relationship yet another chance. But there was another, more rational, part of him that said it wasn't a good idea. They were in a pretty good place right now. They had each done their fair share of growing. He couldn't help but wonder; was there even any room for him in Stephanie's new life? They seemed to have grown in opposite directions. He was more serious, more secluded and held back by his own doubts. Stephanie, on the other hand, was still the bright light she had always been, maybe even more so. She seemed so free, as if she had finally found her place in the world. It seemed like Tim was forever trying to figure out his own place.

"What's up, Oracle?" He was jolted from his thoughts when Batgirl spoke, obviously into a communicator. He turned his head to look at her, watching her expression as she listened to whatever Barbara had to say. After a moment, Batgirl nodded. "Gotcha, O. Red Robin and I will head over there right now."

She looked to him as she ended the connection. Red Robin raised an eyebrow slightly. "What is it?"

"Bank robbery about a block from here. Feel like tagging along on Team Batgirl?"

_Team Batgirl, huh?_ He shrugged. "Why not."

She grinned in a way that made his chest fill with a satisfied sensation and his stomach curl slightly. He recognized the feeling, of course. It was the same feeling he got every time she smiled, for as long as he had known her.

They both took out their grapnels shot them out, allowing themselves to be lifted off their feet as they swung over the streets toward their destination. For a brief moment, it was just like old times and he couldn't help but grin as he heard Steph let out an exhilarated laugh.

They landed in crouched positions just behind the barricade of police surrounding the building, the red and blue lights flashing. They quickly put their grapnels away and approached Commissioner Gordon, ignoring the glances from the other policemen.

"What's the situation, Commissioner?" Red Robin questioned.

"About ten gunmen and fifteen hostages. All the exits are blocked, so they're stuck in there. We've been trying to negotiate with them, but they're stubborn and nothing's come of it."

Red Robin nodded and glanced back at Batgirl. A cool breeze made the night slightly chillier than usual. "Leave it to us."

The Commissioner nodded, giving them each a slightly cautious glance. "Alright."

The two vigilantes walked past the barricade and up to the front doors of the bank. Batgirl looked in, before giving Red Robin a confused look. "No one's standing guard."

Red Robin frowned, before pushing the door open slightly. "They're probably with the hostages in a back room, then."

Batgirl scoffed. "That's a dumb move."

He gave a short nod of acknowledgement before entering the bank cautiously, Batgirl following. He took out his staff, expanding it, prepared for anything. He paused in front of a door, hearing faint voices coming from behind it. He gave his head a jerk toward it and Batgirl walked past him to the other side of the door and turned to face him, also listening. Their eyes connected, silently communicating and figuring out a plan. Eventually, they both nodded. Batgirl took out a couple smoke pellets. Red Robin began to mouth numbers, counting down from one to three. On three, he kicked the door open and Batgirl lunged in, throwing the smoke pellets onto the ground. They each exploded, filling the room with smoke. The gunmen began to cough and call out curses. In the meantime, Red Robin swiftly slinked along the edge of the room to where the hostages were.

"Get in that corner" he commanded quietly, pointing to a corner where the smoke hadn't yet reached.

Batgirl jumped into the smoke, focusing on getting the guns out of their hands. "Hey, I need to make a withdrawal." She grinned as she quipped, ripping a gun from one man's hand and sending her fist straight into his jaw. She then went to where two more men were. She went onto her hands and kicked the guns from their hands, before standing back up. She jumped at one man, grabbing his shoulders and twisting him around, before letting go and flying feet first into another one's gut.

Once the hostages were gathered tightly into the corner, Red Robin joined the frenzy, not straying far from the hostages, however. He used his staff to knock the gun out of a man's hand, before jabbing him in the gut with it and then swiping it across his face.

He heard a gunshot and he couldn't help the moment of panic that rose in his throat and threatened to throw his whole mental state off balance. But he had to focus. Steph was fine. She always turned out fine.

Except for that one time, which seemed like an entire lifetime ago.

The battle lasted for only about a minute longer. The smoke began to clear, revealing the unconscious bodies of the gunmen. And blood. Red Robin's eyes searched the room frantically. "Batgirl?"

"Here" he heard her voice say, slightly breathless. He took a couple steps forward and watched as she stepped out from a cloud of smoke that was quickly dissolving. She was clutching her shoulder and he could see the blood that was leaking out. In two quick strides he was in front of her.

"How bad is it?" His hand moved forward, as if to caress her face or provide some form of comfort, but he quickly retracted it.

Batgirl managed a grin. "It's just a graze really. My Kevlar would've protected me if it hadn't been so close range."

Red Robin nodded, before glancing back at the still frightened hostages. "Go get the police." There was a moment as they just stared at the two vigilantes, before they all got up and ran out the room. He turned back to Batgirl. "Let's go to the cave."

* * *

Tim sat in front of the batcomputer, cowl pulled back as he waited for Steph to finish changing, typing up a report of the attempted robbery.

"Alright, Doc, come patch me up." He swiveled around in the chair when he heard Stephanie's voice. She was wearing just her sports bra, one strap off her shoulder due to her injury, and a pair of sweats. He tried to hide the way his eyes trailed over her. He stood up and walked over to her as she sat down on a cot, swinging her legs back and forth. He grabbed some gauze and antiseptic, briefly eyeing the wound.

"This is going to-"

"Hurt, I know."

He gave her a look that could've really meant anything, as he poured some alcohol onto the gauze. He then pressed it onto her wound, managing not to wince as Stephanie hissed in pain.

"Never really get used to that stuff, huh?" she commented, good-naturedly. Tim allowed himself a small smile. It was then silent between them then as he began to wrap her shoulder. It was a mutual silence at the very least and neither bothered to break it.

"Thanks" she said, once he was done and putting the supplies away. He shrugged, letting a smile flit across his face.

"Anytime, but try not to make a habit of it, ok?"

She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him. "Ha ha. I'll do my best." They grinned at each other, before Steph's brows furrowed. She hopped off the cot and stepped up to him, making any space between them practically nonexistent. Tim's brows furrowed as well. He resisted the urge to step away. Stephanie had always had a way of making him feel vulnerable but he had never let that affect him before, so why now?

"What?"

"You've got a nasty scratch on your cheek."

Oh. "I didn't notice."

"Of course not. Dork."

He cocked an eyebrow. "How am I a dork?"

She grinned softly, before her hand went up and lightly brushed through his hair. Tim's body visible loosened as a wave of content washed over him briefly. "You always have been. You just haven't been letting it show recently."

"Yeah, well…" he swallowed, unable to finish his sentence as his eyes focused in on Stephanie's face, which was oh so close to his. It would've been so easy to just lean forward and close the distance; to forget about everything but her and let all of his feelings wash over him. And he wanted to, so badly. But he couldn't lose control like that. Besides, Stephanie didn't need him right now. A relationship wasn't in the best interest for either of them.

He cleared his throat before taking a step back, averting his eyes to the cot beside him. He ignored the small sigh he heard from her.

He hadn't known that would basically be their last moment spent together.

* * *

"Wake up, Drake."

Tim blinked his eyes open as he groggily woke up. He rubbed a hand down his face and looked up at a very displeased looking ten-year-old. "What do you want, Damian?"

The boy scowled. "You fell asleep on the couch and I got tired of having to look at you every time I entered the room."

Tim rolled his eyes, before fixing a glare on the younger boy. He sat up. "Well, I'm awake now. Happy?" It was a rhetorical question, but of course Damian had to answer it.

"Not quite. You are still within a thousand miles of me. When will you be taking your leave of Gotham and returning to that pathetic team of yours?"

The glare increased. "The Teen Titans are not-" _Oh what's the point?_ He sighed. "I don't know, Damian."

The smug look on the boy's face didn't dim. "The Court of Owls has been defeated, along with Terminus, and I have already beaten you as promised. Your presence is no longer needed. Not like it was in the first place."

_Brat_. "I get it. You can leave me alone now."

"_-tt-_ Titus is probably hungry, so I shall let you wallow in whatever misery you seem to be feeling."

Tim's brow furrowed. "I'm fine."

"You're a terrible liar, Drake. Whatever it was, it was just a dream, so there's no need to make the rest of us suffer for the workings of your own incompetent mind."

Tim watched Damian go, not bothering to retort. He'd been dreaming about the same girl for a few months now. They were all so vivid and real. He didn't even know where his mind came up with it. When had he ever worn a costume like that? And when had he ever known some blonde by the name of Stephanie? If he were to dream of any blonde, he would think it would be Cassie.

He shook his head to himself. _Either way, it was just a dream_.

**A/N: So, this didn't turn out as well as I wanted it to (I totally failed at the fight scene) but once this story hits its groove, it should improve. ^.^ Also letting you know ahead of time; I have not been keeping up much at all with the New 52 Teen Titans, so expect pretty much only vague references to it at this point. So, what do you think? You like? No like? let me know, please. ;D**


	2. Crosswords

**A/N: Ok, here's chapter two, guys~ Thank you all so much! :D This is my most reviewed story yet! :P Responses to guest reviews are on the bottom. ^.^**

Chapter Two

Crosswords

"People think dreams aren't real just because they aren't made of matter, of particles. Dreams are real. But they are made of viewpoints, of images, of memories and puns and lost hopes."

-Neil Gaiman

It was nagging at him. He couldn't seem to get those darn dreams out of his head, especially that last one. There seemed to be some sort of weight to it that he couldn't decipher. It was _there_, but refused to come to the surface. It was making it extremely difficult to concentrate.

He let out a frustrated sigh and- with care –pushed his laptop aside. He rubbed his hands down his face and then through his hair. These dreams were becoming a major inconvenience. He needed to put these mysteries to rest now.

He made his way down into the batcave. When he finally reached the main area, he was glad to see that it was just Dick down there, sitting in front of the computer. Tim couldn't help but raise an eyebrow slightly when he saw a game of solitaire on the screen and not research.

"Hey Dick" he greeted as he walked up to him. He watched as Dick jumped ever-so-slightly and quickly minimized the game of solitaire and opened up a window of what was most likely a random newspaper article. Tim managed to withhold his amusement as he sat down on the desk to Dick's side. Dick looked to him, giving Tim his signature grin.

"Hey Tim, what's up?" He leaned back in the chair nonchalantly, something Tim had only ever seen Dick accomplish in the cave.

"I, um, want to ask you some questions." Dick was really the only person he felt comfortable talking to about this. He couldn't talk to Damian, for obvious reasons, and he didn't feel it was the type of thing you talked about with Bruce. Besides, Dick seemed like the least likely to question his sanity.

Dick nodded. "Sure thing, fire away."

"Was Barbara ever blonde?" He should've started out with a different question, or just not have asked that one entirely. He regretted it the instant he saw the look on Dick's face.

"Uh… _no_. At least I don't think so… I'm pretty sure I would remember if she had been." He looked almost disturbed by the thought.

Tim blushed slightly, feeling the need to explain himself. "I've just had a couple dreams lately about a blonde Batgirl…"

Dick cocked an eyebrow, becoming amused. "Is that some fantasy of yours?"

The blush deepened and Tim spluttered. "W-what? No… No! I don't know why…" He trailed off as he saw Dick's body shaking, unsuccessfully trying to contain his laughter. Tim sighed and went on to the next question.

"Did I, or us, ever know someone by the name of Stephanie?"

Dick, luckily, had the ability to just roll with weird questions. "No, I don't think so." He gave Tim a slightly concerned look. "Since when are you one to have any memory issues, Boy Genius?"

Tim shrugged and averted his eyes. "It's not that exactly…"

Dick swiveled around in the chair, doing a three-sixty before stopping it and facing the computer. He brought up the computer's search engine. "Stephanie what? Maybe we can search for her and see if it triggers anything?"

Tim's brow furrowed as he tried to recall what her last name was. He was sure that he knew it in the dreams, but it had never been outright spoken. It was odd, feeling like he knew something which he really didn't. "I don't know, Dick. I mean she's blonde, blue eyes, and about the same age as me…" His eyes roamed the cave as he searched his mind, before suddenly focusing in on the jagged walls of the cave, a slight brown hint to them. "Brown, try 'Stephanie Brown.'" The name flowed effortlessly off his tongue and he had the urge to say it again and again.

He watched Dick's hands hesitate, the young man's brow furrowed slightly. "You're right. That does sound familiar. Insanely, actually." Tim couldn't help but be slightly glad that he wasn't the only one annoyed by a lack of memories of this person.

Dick typed the name into the search engine and it took but a millisecond for a list to appear on the screen. It turned out there were quite a few "Stephanie Browns" in the world.

"Narrow the search down to Gotham only" Tim suggested, after a moment of the two just staring at the list. Dick did as instructed and the computer quickly narrowed the results down to one. Tim hadn't realized he was holding his breath until Dick clicked on the name and the profile came up. Tim's eyes immediately went to the picture. That was her. She was real. And she was just as beautiful as she was in his dreams.

The world around him seemed to fade away as he flashed back to a dream he had had about a week ago.

* * *

"To recognize a wrong and be sorry for it. Ten letter word."

Robin glanced at Spoiler. Her mask was off and she was laying down on her back on the roof, a pen in one hand and a book of crosswords in another. She absentmindedly put the top of the pen between her teeth as she tried to conjure up an answer. Robin turned his eyes back to his binocular, trying to ignore the fact that he was suddenly jealous of a stupid _pen_.

"Repentance."

"Aha!" She suddenly proclaimed, throwing the hand holding the pen into the air as a fist. "I got it. It's _repentance_."

He sent her an amused look fully aware that she was doing that on purpose. She just gave him a cheeky grin before writing the word down. She then moved onto the next one. "Synonym for _flawless_. Seven letters."

Robin opened his mouth to answer her, when he saw the shipping truck pull up. He recognized the license plates. "There're our guys. Get ready."

Spoiler quickly responded, setting down the book and pen and grabbing her mask. She slipped it on and pulled her hood up as she went to kneel beside him. Her eyes narrowed. "How many do you think there are?"

"I see three in the front. They've probably got four in the back with the shipment." The doors to the truck opened and three men came out from the front. The back doors then opened and four men jumped out. Spoiler snorted lightly.

"Tell me, Boy Wonder, how does it feel to always be right?"

Robin's lips twitched as they both got out their grapples. "Pretty nice, actually." He could tell she was sticking her tongue out at him underneath her mask.

They both shot their grapples out, swinging off the roof and toward the thugs who were currently unloading their shipment of drugs. At precise moments, they each released their grapples, flying toward the ground.

Spoiler's feet connected with a thug and he let out a grunt as the force of her weight brought him to the ground and the box flew out of his hands. He was knocked unconscious as his head slammed into the concrete. Spoiler used the momentum to transition into a roll.

One thug approached and took out a gun. She managed to dodge it just as he pulled the trigger. She shot up, her fist slamming into his chin and her foot kicking the gun out of his grip. She then spun around, her elbow connecting with his temple and causing him to stumble toward the wall. She then ducked down and swept his feet out from under him. The thug fell back and his head hit the wall, knocking him out.

Robin, who had looked over at the sound of the gunshot, turned his attention back to his own fight at hand. He took out his staff and expanded it to its full length, giving the four thugs that surrounded him a steady glare.

"Who's first?"

The men all exchanged a glance, before one of them charged at Tim, extending his hands as if he was trying to grab him. Robin put his staff out in front of him, practically shoving it into the man's hands and bringing him to a halt. Before the thug had time to react, he kneed him in the gut and then sent his foot into his groin. The man gasped, released the staff, and bent over to cradle his throbbing delicates. Robin then swiped his staff to the side, hitting the thug in the side of his head and efficiently knocking him out.

The rest of the fights went in a similar fashion.

Robin watched the last of his opponents fall to the ground unconscious, before looking up and watching as Spoiler finished off the last guy with a roundhouse kick. Tim couldn't help but grin slightly as she walked up to him, clapping her hands together to get the nonexistent dust off them. He could tell she was grinning wryly underneath her mask.

"Well," she commented, "I've certainly enjoyed this date."

Robin wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her closer. "Perfect."

"Huh?" She blinked.

His grin turned slightly teasing. "_Perfect_. It's a seven letter synonym for _flawless_."

* * *

"Aha! I got it." Dick's exclaimed, clapping his hands together once and unknowingly startling Tim out of the daydream. Tim blinked.

"What?"

"I figured it out; why her name is so familiar."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"She's the daughter of Cluemaster. Y'know? That wannabe Riddler? You and Bruce stopped him and threw him in the slammer a couple years ago."

Tim nodded, remembering. "Only a couple years, huh? Sure feels like longer than that."

Dick nodded in agreement. "Tell me about it."

There was a moment of silence before Tim decided to get back on track. "Anyway, do you think I can take a look at this file?"

Dick eyed Tim, a hint of amusement in his blue eyes. "Y'know, if you're interested in this girl and want to get to know her, you can always just _meet_ her, instead of reading some computer file about her like some creepy stalker."

Tim blushed again and opened his mouth a couple times before words finally came out, indignant. "I am not!"

Dick just waved his hand and got up from the chair, his body language completely nonchalant. "Whatever you say, lover boy."

"I'm not… it's not… _Argh!_" Dick was already gone. Tim threw his hands up in the air before running them through his hair in frustration. The only reason he was interested in this girl was because she kept appearing in his dreams and he didn't know why. She, and this whole situation, was a mystery that needed solving. That was it. Besides, he kind of liked Cassie.

Right?

Gah, it was all so confusing! He hated being confused. He wasn't used to it. Besides, dreams weren't real. They shouldn't have that much effect on him. They weren't even nightmares. Nightmares he could understand the emotional toll of, since he had them himself. But none of these dreams were _bad_ so far. They were all fairly easy and often lighthearted moments. Especially the ones that seemed to happen in earlier times. Those were ones that often stuck out to him, because he was _Robin_ in those. Despite most of the public's belief, he had never officially been Robin. When he really thought about it, he wasn't sure _why_. But that was a thought for another day. One mystery at a time was preferable.

**A/N: I hope that fight scene kind of made up for the failure of one in the last chapter, although I may have gotten a little lazy near the end of it. ^^" And I know this is short, I'm sorry. Things'll definitely get moving in the next chapter. ;) Oh and by the way, you'll probably notice me poking some jabs in the reboot occasionally. They may be subtle, they may not be. :P Alright, enough of my babbling, onto guest response. ^.^ Review, please.~ ;D**

** BmS: I know right! But never, say never, right? ;) Anything could happen. ^^ (I'm the forever hopeful, type xP)**

** Confused: o.o Um... no, I'm pretty sure they didn't... if they had it would probably be all over the place and I would've heard of it. xP There's a possibility I'm wrong though. And if they had, then... I don't know what to think. :P (Assuming you're talking about Cass, as in Batgirl, and aren't referencing Wonder Girl. Easy mistake when they have such similar real names. :P)**

** guest: (I gotta put what you said, 'cause there are other people using this name; "****i love the begining. there's not enough tim/steph fics on here. anyway great job. i can't wait to see the next update. when will tim be able to see stephanie for real?") I know right? xD I kind of thought hardly anyone would review, 'cause I thought there weren't a lot of TimSteph shippers here... guess I was wrong. :P Or maybe the fact that I posted a link to it on Tumblr has to do with it. xP And as for when Steph is coming; just wait and find out. -waves hands mysteriously.- :3**

** guest: ("****please try update soon. when i start reading something good i just can't stop till it's completely done. great job so far.") Thank you! ^.^**

** anonymous: People actually have! :D I was quite surprised (in an extremely good way) by all the response! xD And thank you! ^.^**

** guest: ("****when are you planning on updating?") Whenever I have the time/muse. ;)**

** Aprillis: (I know you're not a guest, but you have private messaging disabled, so I thought I'd respond to you here ;P) I know right? . I was a total puddle of feels while writing this. xP And I knoooow ;_; the reboot seems to want to take away many good things in life. Um, I don't think there's gonna be a sequel to this, but I'll have to see where it goes. Right now I'm planning on it being a rounded story, complete with a resolution and all that. But who knows what I'll be thinking in the future. xD And thank you! ^.^**


	3. Blunt Force

**A/N: Sorry this took so long! D: Life's been slightly hectic. :/**

Chapter Three

Blunt Force

"There is a force that drives everything in this universe; you may call it anything you like, names that fit in tongue; when you're close to it, you have the power to do anything."

-Toba Beta

Tim grabbed his red hoodie off the coat rack and slipped it on, pulling the hood over his head. He reached for the door handle, but paused when he heard a voice behind him.

"Where are you heading off to?" He turned to see Bruce standing there dressed in a suit, obviously about to attend some meeting or something at Wayne Enterprises. He opened his mouth to reply, when Damian also entered the room.

"He is probably going to stalk some female he has a fascination with."

Tim glared, the faintest of blushes coloring his cheeks. "What did Dick tell you?"

Damian rolled his eyes. "Grayson told me nothing. I had simply been listening in on your conversation with him the other day. As usual, you were oblivious to your surroundings."

"Dick didn't notice you either!"

"_-tt-_"

"_Ahem_." They both turned to Bruce. "Damian, go help Alfred with breakfast."

"I re-"

Bruce glared.

"Fine" Damian spat, indignant, before walking off, Titus following at his heels. Bruce then turned to Tim.

"What's this about a girl?"

Tim struggled for a reasonable explanation that wouldn't get him sent straight to Arkham. "It's just… a girl… who went to my school… I, um, just want to catch up with her and stuff… we had been kind of close, I guess." He could lie to a criminal or civilian no problem, but lying to Bruce might as well have been like signing his own death certificate; shaky and near impossible.

Bruce cocked an eyebrow, obviously debating on whether or not to call Tim out on it. He eventually chose the former, moving to go about his business. "Alright." Tim watched Bruce leave, before letting out a small sigh of relief, glad that he had managed to survive that one. He then opened the door and exited the Manor.

He took a taxi to his destination. The driver didn't recognize him, so he held out hope that no one else would. The last thing he needed was a swarm of people who wanted to get up close and personal with one of Bruce Wayne's wards. He had instructed the driver to drop him off a block away from the address.

He stuffed his hands into his pockets, taking on a casual stroll despite his impatience. He kept his head down in extra measure to not be recognized. The streets were crowded and he wasn't sure whether this was an advantage or disadvantage. It didn't matter, though, because as soon as he turned onto the street of his destination, the crowds died down. It was a residential street, lined with nothing but apartment buildings, most of which were slightly ran down.

He stopped in front one of the buildings, recognizing the number. He faced it, looking up at a window he was pretty sure was hers. There was something off about this place, he felt, as if he had expected her to live somewhere else. The curtains were closed and it was the middle of the day, so he had no way of knowing if she was inside or not. He felt his heart speed up at the thought of catching a _real_ glimpse of her. But what would he do when that happened? Would he be able to move on with his life, or would he be filled with more questions? It was an endless equation with too many variables and too many possibilities.

But there it was, out of the corner of his eye, a blur of blonde. His heart stopped and he turned his head immediately, his eyes landing on her face just before she turned into an alleyway. His breath caught. He'd seen those eyes a thousand times by now. It was _her_. She was real. She was flesh and blood and made of real cells. She had a name, she had a story; he wanted to know every little detail.

It was a moment later when he realized he had begun to follow her. He realized that following a girl into an alleyway probably wasn't the smartest idea, but he'd been trained in stealth. He kept a reasonable distance, one that allowed him not to lose sight of her for too long, while maintaining enough of a distance to hopefully not cause any attention.

The alleyway led to a currently inactive construction zone, which she just kept walking through. Tim's brow furrowed. Where was she going? Why did she walk right past her home in the first place? He watched as she picked up a brick without stopping. This only confused Tim more. What in the world was she doing? She rounded a corner and he lost sight of her. Resisting the urge to speed up so he wouldn't lose her, he kept the same pace. He reached the corner and walked around it.

_Bam!_

Something hard and rough was slammed into his face, forcing his head to the side. For a split second, everything went black and words that seemed to be from another lifetime floated into his mind.

_"It's late."_

_ "Yeah."_

_ "I wish this never had to end."_

_ "Same here."_

"What was that for?!" he questioned, kneeling over and cupping his now incredibly sore jaw. He eyed the brick in her hand, hoping she wouldn't try to hit him with it again.

"You were following me!" she accused, pointing a finger at him.

He stood up straight, his hand still on his jaw. He was going to have a nasty bruise there. He wondered how he'd be able to explain that one. He could already see the scowl on Bruce's face.

"Was not!" He wasn't sure what the point in defending himself was, when he was so obviously guilty.

"Yeah, you were! You were even staring at my apartment, creep!"

His face reddened to match the cheek that had been assaulted. He hadn't expected her to notice that. "I was just…" There really was no excuse for it, was there? She stared at him angrily, her grip on the brick tight and her posture defensive. It was a nice posture, he admitted. She definitely had potential-

_What_ was he thinking?

"Sorry" he mumbled. Looking at her so closely was surreal. He had the urge to reach out and touch her, make sure she was real and this wasn't another dream. He resisted the urge, knowing that would make him seem like even more of a creep. Instead, he settled for pinching himself. He winced slightly, thankful for the pain.

Maybe he did belong in Arkham.

"Well?" she demanded after a moment of tense silence. "What do you want? I swear if you're one of _them_…"

That caught his attention. "One of _who_?" He stood up straight, his brows already furrowing. Was someone threatening her? Was she in some sort of trouble? He suddenly had the urge to take her away from here, from whatever was troubling her.

Her lips pursed for a second, as if trying to decide if his lack of knowledge was sincere or just some ruse. Her face quickly hardened once more, though. "Answer my question!" She took one step toward him, as if she was going to hit him again. Tim took a step back, not willing to take that risk. He was finding it difficult to predict her actions, yet another feeling he wasn't used to.

"Listen, I'm sorry." He racked his brain for an explanation that made sense, his body relaxing slightly when he finally found one. "I just saw you at the library the other day and you caught my interest, so I asked one of your coworkers about you and they gave me your address." He couldn't _wait_ until that was blown away. She was bound to question everyone else who worked at the library.

The hand holding the brick lowered slightly, a good sign. Her eyes moved over him cautiously, still not quite ready to believe him. "Then why were you following me like some creepy stalker? Is that just some pastime of yours or something?" Her sarcasm was thick.

"No," he replied, trying not to become defensive. "I was just trying to get closer so when I called you, you'd hear me."

"Who did you ask about me?"

"Some woman. I don't remember her name."

"What'd she look like?"

He wondered how much he'd be able to take out of his account without Bruce getting suspicious. He'd have to pay off that librarian at the library to make sure she stuck to his story. "Dark hair."

Stephanie waited for more information, glaring when it became apparent that she wasn't going to get anymore. "Did she tell you my name?"

"Uh, just your first. _Stephanie_, right?" The name flowed effortlessly off his tongue. He enjoyed the sound of it. Even more so now that he could put a face to the name.

She nodded cautiously. Tim frowned, trying to come up with some way to earn her trust, especially now that he seemed to have abolished any trust she _would've_ given him, had they met under different circumstances.

"Look, I'm sorry." He couldn't remember the last time he had apologized so much.

_A shoe flew at his face, accompanied by an angry, familiar voice._

He blinked, surprised by the sudden flash. What had he done to make her throw a shoe at his face? He shook his head. Didn't matter.

"Can you please just put the brick down and let me make you an offer?" he continued. He watched as she blinked, before looking at the brick, as if she had totally forgotten that it was still gripped in her hand. The smallest of blushes came to her cheeks and Tim had to resist the urge to stare at the sight, finding it more appealing than it really should've been. After a moment's hesitation, she dropped the brick, tossing it aside, but obviously not too far away. She would likely still be able to dive and grab it at a moment's notice. He felt a small amount of satisfaction at how prepared she was, until he reminded himself that _he _would be the one getting a brick to the face if that happened. Again.

She crossed her arms, putting on a poker face and raising an eyebrow. Tim swallowed down his amusement. He was in trouble and he had to make this right.

"I'm listening." Her voice told him that he had approximately five seconds before she turned on her heel and left.

"I know we haven't gotten off on the right foot, but can we talk some more? I promise I'm not a creep." He gave her a smile that he hoped was charming, or friendly, or just anything but creepy. Her expression didn't change. Her poker face could give Damian a run for his money. "Let me take you to a café or something. Just get a drink and maybe a bite. McDonald's even. Whatever you want." He had her in his grasp now. How could he possibly let her go now?

It seemed like forever while he waited for her reply. He had no idea what she was thinking. "Fine." The word came out curtly and grudgingly, but it was good enough for Tim. "There's a small diner down the street. Their mashed potatoes are amazing. You can take me there." A sigh accompanied the end of her statement. Tim tried to keep his grin small as he nodded.

"Alright."

He turned to follow her, a recent dream flashing in his memory.

* * *

"Alright, what happened?" Tim exited the kitchen of Stephanie's house, carrying a full plate of mashed potatoes in his hand. Steph sat on the couch in the living room, hugging a pillow and playing the hem of her pajama shorts.

"Nothin'" she replied, not looking up until he stopped in front of her. She took the offered plate and began to eat the potatoes. "You didn't have to come over here and make me these." A small smile flitted across her face, however. She was probably surprised that he remembered her ultimate comfort food.

Tim walked around her, before sitting down next to her on the couch. He ignored the way their hips brushed. He honestly hadn't intended to sit that close, but it seemed to come naturally. He put his arm on the back of the couch and looked at her, eyes slightly concerned.

"Oracle told me that you started acting strange right before you got off patrol tonight. Something about no witty remarks and plenty of openings?" He let out a single, quiet laugh, trying to get some sort of smile out of her. He felt rather successful when the corners of her lips turned up slightly.

"So, O told you to come here?" she questioned, glancing at him with a raised eyebrow, before taking another bite of potatoes.

He shook his head. "Oracle didn't tell me to do anything." After a moment of silence, he pressed on. "Did something happen? Did you lose a fight? Did you see something that-" He cut himself off as she began to shake her head.

"Nope, Batgirl's still kicking ass and she's still perfectly aware of the gruesome side to life. This is a Steph issue."

_So there is an issue._ "Tell me."

Stephanie looked at him and their eyes connected. In her eyes, Tim could see their memories floating around and replaying in his reflection. The urge to just simply lean forward was so great that he was about to, but was broken out of it when Steph sighed. She took a bite of potatoes, before beginning her explanation, swallowing the bite only after her first few sentences.

"So, there was this guy who stole from the jewelry store today. I don't know which one, they kind of all mush together after a while. Anyway, I chased him down to the park, where I took him out, because I'm skilled like that, y'know? So yeah, the police arrived and I handed the guy over to them. I was just about to leave when I saw the kids playing on the playground. Most were staring, but there were some who couldn't care less. They were all so cute, y'know? Those kids don't have a care in the world. And the little girls, with their pigtails and little dresses. And… and I kind of thought of my daughter. I mean, I figure I had a girl 'cause Bruce kind of let that slip on my 'deathbed.' Anyway, I just started to wonder about her. What does she look like? What's her favorite ice cream? Is she happy? I want to know, Tim. I mean, I know that I kind of gave up that right, and I'm not saying that I want her back. I'm sure she's happy with a nice family and everything, but… I don't know that, do I?" She sighed again, before glancing at him, a cautious smile playing at her lips. "I don't sound crazy, do I?"

Tim had been listening intently to her, giving her his undivided attention. His eyes were glued to her as understanding filled his face. He shook his head. "Not at all." He adjusted his position to face her more and leaned forward. He reached to place his hand on hers, before hesitating and clasping his own hands together in his lap. He hoped she hadn't noticed. "You're being perfectly reasonable, Steph. If you want, I can look into it for you."

Stephanie frowned slightly as she looked at him. "But you've been so busy lately…"

"I'll find the time" he replied instantly. Steph eyed him for a moment, before a grin stretched across her face and she let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head in amusement.

"Alright," she said, "it's a deal." She set the plate of potatoes on the coffee table and held out her knuckle to him. Tim eyed the knuckle, before raising an eyebrow at him. His _Really?_ rang through the air. Steph just nodded enthusiastically, biting her lip most likely to keep from laughing. Eventually, Tim let out an over exaggerated sigh, restraining his own amusement, and returned the fist bump. A small chuckle managed to escape from his lips, however.

Steph put on a movie after that. It was _Tangled_ and Tim couldn't help but chuckle quietly to himself when he noticed a few similarities between Rapunzel and Steph- besides their hair color, of course. It was on the lake scene, when Tim couldn't help but glance down at Steph. She was asleep, probably tired out from the night's patrol, and her head was resting on his shoulder. His arm was around her and it reminded Tim greatly of the old, simple days of crosswords and the sound of a piano. Her face had always looked so peaceful when she was asleep, and it still did. He couldn't help but smile slightly when he heard a light snore come from her. To this day, she still denied that she ever snored, but Tim knew that she knew. She knew everything. At least, he hoped so. Either way, he would make sure to remind her. Someday. He just prayed he wouldn't be too late.

**A/N: There ya go! :D Told you things will speed up a little bit in this chapter. I've had that bricking scene in my mind since I started this. :P Let me just once again thank all of your who review, favorite, and alert! ^^ This is my most popular story yet, I think. ;) By the way, I'm just curious, but how many of you are from tumblr? :P Anywho, responses to guest reviews are on the bottom as usual. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.~ Review please! ;D**

**Aprillis: Thank you! And haha, I do love me my jabs.~ ;P Thanks by the way for clearing that up. :P I feel the same way about Cass and Tim's relationship. :)**

**Guest: ("THANK YOU FOR UPDATING! PLEASE CONTINUE!") YOU'RE WELCOME! :D**

**Guest: ("OMG ME GUSTA! Your fic is really good! I really miss timsteph and this story makes it less painful :(") Gracias! I know, their absence is painful. Glad I can lessen that torment, though! ;)**

**Guest: ("please update quick please. i've always voted for tim and steph") I'll do my best to update as often as possible! And yes, Tim and Steph belong together.~**

**Guest: ("Amazing :) post soon") Thank you! :D**


End file.
